Achievement of Primary Stroke Center Certification signifies an organization’s dedication to fostering better outcomes for patients. The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care.

“Certification is a voluntary process and The Joint Commission commends Silver Cross for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves.”

Developed in collaboration with the American Stroke Association, The Joint Commission’s Primary Stroke Center Certification program is based on the Brain Attack Coalition’s “Recommendations for the Establishment of Primary Stroke Centers.” Certification is available only to stroke programs in Joint Commission-accredited acute care hospitals.

“Silver Cross is thoroughly committed to providing our patients the highest quality stroke care centered on current scientific research to ensure continued improvement in treatment,” said Paul Pawlak, President and CEO of Silver Cross Hospital. “In addition to our Joint Commission accreditation, the Primary Stroke Center Certification has given us the opportunity to highlight the exceptional stroke care—from diagnosis through recovery, we provide for our patients, and help us improve care overall for our community.”

Right Treatment, Right Time— All under One Roof

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. It is the third leading cause of death and the number one cause of adult disability in the U.S. A stroke is also known as a “brain attack” and can damage the brain as a heart attack can damage the heart. Strokes can often times affect speech, movement and memory because the cells die in the part of the brain that controls these abilities.

“Our goal is to make sure that every patient receives the right treatment at the right time,” says Dr. Kathleen McCahill, Medical Director of the Silver Cross Stroke Program. “One of the most effective methods to reverse a stroke is treatment with the drug – tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) – which must be administered intravenously within just 3 hours of symptom onset.”

The narrow ‘time window’ for administering tPA requires a very rapid response time by the public, by 9-1-1 responders, by the emergency department staff, and by specialists with the Silver Cross Neuroscience Institute. The concepts behind Primary Stroke Centers include a heightened state of readiness for stroke patients, making sure hospital-wide mechanisms are in place to rapidly identify and intervene in acute stroke, and a multi-disciplinary team who can deliver rapid and sophisticated care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Silver Cross is one of the few hospitals in the area offering advanced technologies to extend the treatment window for stroke up to 8 hours. Neuro interventional radiologists and neurosurgeons are available to treat strokes in our state-of-the-art biplane angiography suite.

Neuro interventional radiologists and neurosurgeons are available to treat strokes in our state-of-the-art biplane angiography suite. “This new technology allows for an even greater level of safety for patients by cutting the normal procedure length and radiation exposure in half,” says Dr. Harish Shownkeen, Medical Director of the Neuro Interventional Program at Silver Cross.

And, patients don’t need to go anywhere else to recover. Our partnership with The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) ensures patients will receive an unmatched recovery experience close to home. RIC has been ranked the “Best Rehabilitation Hospital in America” by U.S. News and World Report every year since 1991. Patients benefit from RIC at Silver Cross’ new 24-bed inpatient rehabilitation unit as well as four outpatient facilities—at the hospital, Homer Glen, New Lenox (Route 30) and West Joliet.

Learn more about the Silver Cross Stroke Program and request a free Stroke Awareness kit, atwww.silvercross.org/neuro or by calling 1-888- 660-HEAL (4325).

About Silver Cross Hospital

Silver Cross Hospital is a not-for-profit health care provider serving Will County and southwest suburban communities since 1895. Silver Cross has been recognized as a Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals National Award winner for seven consecutive years and as a Hospital of Choice by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers. With over 3,000 employees, physicians and volunteers, Silver Cross operates a 289-bed acute care hospital and 9 satellite facilities providing outpatient services and physician offices. Silver Cross opened a state-of-the-art replacement hospital on February 26, 2012 at I-355 and Route 6 in New Lenox. To learn more about Silver Cross Hospital or a referral to a physician on staff, visit www.silvercross.org or call 1-888-660-HEAL (4325).